The present invention relates to surgical instruments and pertains particularly to a spacer guide for utilization in total knee surgical techniques.
In my prior application entitled "Surgical Knee Alignment Method and System", Ser. No. 337,587 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,766, filed Jan. 7, 1982, I disclose methods and instrumentation for accomplishing total knee surgery. One instrument disclosed in that system is a posterior spacer guide which was utilized after a resection of the tibia plateau to indicate the two prostheses for the particular knee under consideration. That instrument, however, was subject to errors if the tibia was not held in tension at precisely 90.degree. of flexion.
The instrument of the present application is an improvement of that instrument and is utilized in conjunction with a tibial resector guide to assure proper 90.degree. alignment as well as to the appropriate proximal tibial cut, distal femoral cut and the proper tibial and femoral prostheses.